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I Stayed in the Boko Haram Wing in Prison -FFK On His 2nd Experience in Detention

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Former aviation minister, Fani Kayode has given a detailed experience of his second detention in prison. In an essay titled HEAD BLOODIED BUT NOT BOWED (PART 1),he wrote

Permit me to begin this contribution with an apology for my disappearance from the literary and political scene for the last one month but this was due to circumstances beyond my control.
On October 21st, five days after my 56th birthday, I was arrested by the EFCC without an arrest warrant at the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos where I had been earlier granted bail. Thereafter I was illegally detained by them without any detention order for 21 days.

Kindly note that this was after I had been detained by them for a gruelling 67 days 6 months ago (from 9th of May till July 15th), brought before the Federal High Court in Lagos, arraigned on spurios and politically-motivated charges and locked up in Ikoyi prison for a number of days whilst I attempted to perfect my court bail.
After perfecting bail, on 21st October I was re-arrested and the whole nightmare began again: only this time it was far more insidious and worse.

Throughout the time of the second detention I was kept in a dingy underground cell at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja where I met a number of other high profile opposition figures like Senator Bala Mohammed, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the former Minister of State for Defence and Mr. Reuben Abati, the former spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan.

During the course of my 21 day incarceration my abductors did not ask me any questions or say one word to me other than to formally serve me with a new set of fresh criminal charges the morning after I got there which I simply signed for.

After that I heard nothing from them and I was told nothing though I had daily visits to the medical clinic at the EFCC due to my deteriorating health.
Three weeks later, on November 10th, I was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja and arraigned on yet another set of spurrious, baseless and politically-motivated charges.
These ones were even more ridiculous and far-fetched than the first set in Lagos. I was falsely accused of receiving 26 million naira cash from the former National Security Advisor, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, for media work for the Jonathan administration in 2014.
Thankfully I was granted bail by the court and I was detained at Kuje prison for a further 4 days whilst I attempted to perfect my bail.

At Kuje I was kept in the terrorist wing of the prison which was built by the British government specifically for Boko Haram convicts and suspects.
There were 47 of them in the facility and I was with them throughout. These were tough, disciplined, hardened, surprisingly well-educated and intimidating men.
The single cells and the entire terrorist section of the prison was pervaded by an eerie silence throughout the night and low tone whispers throughout the day. The only thing that broke the monotony of silence was the regular and constant call to Muslim prayers and the loud and regular cries of “Allahu Akbar”.

This was a frightful place and those that were locked up there were very dangerous and frightful people yet thankfully the Lord went ahead of me.
The single cells, though small, were clean, self-contained, well-ventilated, dry and very neat. The inmates were surprisingly very kind and friendly towards me and turned out to be my best friends and bodyguards whenever I toured th other parts of the prison.
I was very impressed with them and when I heard their stories and what some of them had been subjected to by the security forces and the state tears came to my eyes.

Most of those men were not Boko Haram killers but had been falsely accused, tortured and just dumped into prison and I felt nothing but pain and sorrow when I heard their stories.

When I went to visit the great and brilliant freedom fighter, Nnamdi Kanu, who is the leader of IPOB and easily the most courageous, powerful and credible Igbo leader in Nigeria today in his cell we had a very instructive and long discussion.
I had never met Nnamdi before and I was amazed at his depth of knowledge, his immense courage and his deep convictions.
There is no doubt in my mind that that man is going places and in him the Igbo have an Ojukwu and a Nnamdi Azikiwe all rolled into one. He is destined for greatness.

My Boko Haram friends accompanied me to that meeting, drew a ten man security cordon around me when we entered the general population of the prison and waited outside as Nnamdi and I spoke for almost three hours.
They even accompanied me to Church on sunday and waited outside until we finished.

Given what I have written about Boko Haram in the past and given my total aversion to any form of violence, terrorism and radical Islam, this was a classic case of God granting me favour before my enemies.
Everyone dreaded them in that prison but I am proud to say that they were my friends and I will never forget their courage, kindness and fellowship for the rest of my life.

The enemy had placed me in the lions den but the lions and their prey became the best of friends. Not only were my Boko Haram section mates very good to me but so were the other inmates in the general prison population.
Not only that, the head of the prison DCP Akilu Abdullah, his Chief warden and his entire staff and team of prison wardens were firm, courteous and professional not just to me but to all the other inmates.

This was the doing of the Lord and it was marvellous in my sight. Throughout my travails I have never questioned God and I have been inspired and comforted by His word which says that in all things we must give thanks to Him.
I am innocent of all the charges and allegations and as I have said elsewhere the whole thing is an attempt by the Federal Government and an increasingly desperate EFCC that is obsessed with my name and putting me away to discredit, break and silence me.

Yet in all this I am not moved and neither can I ever be broken or silenced because, like the biblical Job, “I know that my Redeemer liveth”.
Like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, “my head is bloodied but not bowed” and “I shall fight until the flesh is hacked from my bones”.
And as that fight and struggle unfolds and unwinds I take solace in the powerful and beautiful words of the Victorian poet William Ernest Henley in my favourite poem titled ‘Invictus’ which was written in 1875. He wrote,

“Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul”.

Like Nelson Mandela did at Robben Island prison every day for 26 years, I recited that poem three times a day on each and every day of my total of 90 days detention this year. And if I am arrested and detained again by the EFCC or any of President Buhari’s other numerous security or intelligence agencies I will continue to recite it. I have no fear of what men or satan can do to me and I trust and have faith in the God that I serve.

Having explained my absence for the few weeks with this appetiser permit me get to the meat of it and now serve the main dish of this contribution. (TO BE CONTINUED).
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Alaafin: How selection process turned controversial

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After the death of Oba Adeyemi on April 22, 2022, about 198 contenders signified their interest to assume the revered throne.

But, the number was pruned from 65 to 10 by the Oyo Mesi, a council of kingmakers after a rigorous interview and consultation with Ifa Oracle.

Then, the kingmakers were reported to have nominated Prince Gbadegesin.

After the nomination of Prince Gbadegesin by the estranged kingmakers, there was a row among the kingmakers over the sharing formula for the sum of money allegedly offered them for the selection.

It was gathered that it was the sharing formula that sowed the seed of discord. It was alleged that two of the kingmakers felt the larger portion of the cake was taken by one of them.

Inundated with complaints and alleged monetisation of the process that led to the selection, the‘greased palms’, the governor restrained himself from giving approval to the name forwarded to him by the kingmakers.

The governor insisted that due process must be strictly adhered to.

The governor, as reliably gathered instructed the kingmakers to go back to the drawing board by re-consulting Ifa Oracle without being induced by any one of the princes which the kingmakers rejected.

  • Ifa Oracle consulted outside Oyo;
    In what could be termed an unprecedented move, the state government reportedly went and sought the services of a neutral ifa priest, Professor Wande Abimbola, the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ife and the head of all Ifa oracle diviners to ask Ifa Oracle which of the aspirants he preferred.

Ifa picked Prince Owoade — Prof Abimbola
In a viral video last weekend, Prof Abimbola was heard saying that the Oyo State government contacted him on the divination process.

According to the Ifa diviner, the Oyo State Governor called him to ask Ifa who the right choice would be.
The Professor of Yoruba explained the rigour he went through before picking the new Alaafin.

He said: ”I spent ten days seeking the face of Ifá oracle and Ifá made its choice. Ifá chose Prince Owoade.”

The Ifa representative also alleged that the Oyo kingmakers tried to monetarily influence him by persuading him to stick to their initial nomination to which he said no.

This was how Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade became the 46th Alaafin of Oyo.

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The Alaafin’s throne is not to be rubbished. Don’t play with me – Late Alaafin of Oyo’s daughter drags Queen Dami, exposes her over paternity of her child

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Adeyemi Adebisi Aminat, the daughter of the late Alaafin of Oyo State, has dragged his ex-wife, Queen Dami over her social media shenanigans

In a series of posts on her Instagram story, she pointed out the irony of how Dami was shaming someone over paternity of their child, yet, doesn’t know the father of her child. She claimed the former Queen bought the child from Port Harcourt.

Adebisi stated that the fact that this palace isn’t talking doesn’t mean they don’t know what to say.

She further stated that the Alaafin’s throne is not to be rubbished as she admonished Dami not to play with her.

Adebisi revealed that she had all the blood tests and evidence before the King passed away.

Dammy you are insulting someone that they don’t know the father of their child. Do you know the father of your own child? The child you went to buy in Port Harcourt.

The fact that we are not talking doesn’t mean we don’t know what to say.

The Alaafin’s throne is not to be rubbished. Don’t play with me. I have all the blood tests and evidence before the king passed away. Go and give the child to the rightful owner”

Recall that Queen Dami was married to the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyeye but the marriage crashed after she allegedly broke a palace rule, an act that prompted her to leave her marriage and run away from the palace.

She later blamed the whole act on frustration and wrong advice from friends. Unfortunately, her relationship with the monarch was never repaired before his demise last year.

Following the death of the King, Dami publicly moved on with Portable, who confirmed their relationship in an interview in 2023.

Portable stated that Queen Dami was only a fan before the death of her husband, the King, but things switched up from there as he wasn’t one to have an affair with people’s wives.

Dami later went public with their affair o Valentine’s Day. She shared an adorable message for Portable, on her Instagram, as she excitedly expressed that Portable was her man, while also stating that he had her whole heart.

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Condolences poured as Nigeria Fuji music star Kwam1 loses wife to illness

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Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marsha popularly known as Kwam1 or K1 de Ultimate, has lost one of his wives, Alhaja Hafsat Anifowoshe

According to reports, the singer’s wife died in the early hours of today from an undisclosed illness.

The 65-years-old has been laid to rest at Abari Cemetery, Lagos in line with Islamic traditions.

Speaking on her death, the Chief Press Secretary to the LIEL CDA chairman, described the deceased as an excellent woman and loving mother. He noted how her time spent on earth was a good service to God and humanity

Addressing the family and her supporters, he said their prayers were with them and urged them to find the strength to continue where she stopped.

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